Parallel ruler



Sept. 11, 1945. c w KUHNE 2,384,555

PARALLEL RULER Filed Nov. 22, 1943 mmxwfi Q IN V EN TOR. ARL MK KUH N32 Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARALLEL RULER Carl W. Kuhne, Mill Valley, Calif. Application November 22, 1943, Serial No. 51.1,365

11 Claims. (01. 33- 110) This invention relates to a parallel ruler or section liner.

The herein described parallel ruler or section liner is an instrument for facilitating the otherwise tedious operation of section lining crosssections on mechanical drawings and the like. It also aids greatly in the drawing of parallel lines, for instance in the drawing of screws, either conventional or actual pitch, as the instrument is quickly set for any desired pitch and can be used in any position on the drawing board without the aid of a T-square or ruler. In the specific form herein illustrated the instrument can be used as a regular 45 triangle.

An object of the invention is to provide a section liner or parallel ruler which can be used without a T-square and quickly shifted and handled by convenient finger rests and held in true parallel equally spaced positions for speedy drawing of arallel lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a section liner or parallel ruler which is highly useful and simple in construction. Convenience of arrangement, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufactur are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the invention.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in'the accompanying drawing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my section liner.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the section being taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the section being taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view, the section being taken substantially on lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

It is understood that the herein showing of my invention in the form of a 45 triangle is only 11- slidell.

lustrative, and my invention may be embodied in other forms of section liners or parallel rulers of this character.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a body which has edges at suitable angles, in the presentform a '45" triangle 6, which has a base edge I and equal side edges 8 each at 45 angle to the base edge'l. Parallel to one of the edges in the herein form to the base edge 'I, is an oblong slot 9. In the slot 9 is longitudinally slidable a slide H, which latter is held with freedom of limited play in said slot 9 so as to allow the pressing of the slide against a work surface l2 when the'triangle 6 is to be shifted on the work surface l2 relatively to'and on 'the'line of the slide ll. The'slide H is shorter than the slot 9 and the space l3 at the end of the slide I I determines the stroke of the slide II and the corresponding spacing of the parallel. lines I4 drawn along either side edge 8 of thextriangle '6. The drawn parallel lines, 14 are shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. An adjustable abutment device I6 is provided at an end of the slot 9 and opposite to the adjacent end of the slide H to vary the space l3 and thestroke of the slide H according to the desired spacing between the parallel lines l4. Y The slot 9 extends through the entire thickness of the triangle 6, from the top face IT to the bottom face l8. The slot 9 is counter sunk at l9 from the bottom face 18 so as to form a pair of opposed guide edges or rails 2| at the top of the opposite longitudinal sides of the slot 9. The ends of the slot -9 are preferably straight from top to bottom. v

The slide ll conforms to the contour of the slot 9 and is loosely held on the guide edges 2|. The slide ll herein ismade of a lower body 22 very slightly thicker than the depth of the slot 9 or of the thickness of thetriangle 6. The longitudinal sides of the slide II are cut in at the top to fit over the guide edges 2| of the slot 9. The grooves 23 formed by said cut are wider than the thickness of the guide edges 2| to allow for limited play of the slide H on the guide edges 2| vertically to the plane of the triangle 6. On the top of the slide body 22 is a flange 24 which extends over the tops of the guide edges 2| and holds the slide 1 l in the slot 9. On the top of the flange 24 is a finger rest 26 which has a concave top of suflicient length to accommodate about three fingers of the draftsman for manipulating the The parts ofthe slide II are suitably held together as aunit by countersunk screws 21 or thelike. The flange 24 and finger'rest 26 may h ma nte a ase ait g l smel unitary slide may be provided of suitable material insertion in the slot.

The abutment device l6 herein includes an eccentric or cam disk 28, which is eccentric with respect to its fulcrum journal 29. The center of the fulcrum journal 29 herein is outside of the slot 9 but is aligned with the longitudinal center line of the slot 9. The disk 28 extends over and inwardly of the end of the slot 9 and in the path of the slide flange 24 so that the flange 24 abuts against the edge of'thedisk 23 at'the endof lts respective stroke. The disk 28 can be turned for around its fulcrum journal 29 so as to project to a selected distance over the slot 9 and thereby determine the space l3 and the correspondingspacing of the drawn parallel lines 14. The fulcrum journal 29 herein is formed by a shank which has a head 3| at one end'thereof countersunk into the bottom face I8 of the triangle and preferably has a serrated edge to prevent its rotation. The shank extends through and above the top face "of, the triangle 6 and has its end threaded at 32. A nut 33 is provided on the threaded end 32 of the journal shank.29 so as. to press, preferably through a suitable washer 34,, on the top of the eccentric disk 28 so as tohold the disk 28 in aselected adjusted positicnto determine the line spacing. as heretofore described. The top of the nut 33 is concave to accommodate a finger of the draftsman for holding the triangle 6 in place on the work surface lzrwhile the slide H is shifted in-the slot 9; The hand pressure exerted on the nut 33 presses the bottom of the head 3! and the bottom face l8 of the triangle 6 into firmer frictional contact with the paper or work-surface on which thelines aredrawn. Division lines 36 at the edge of the disk 28 suitably indicate the degree of line spacing.

It is preferable that the triangle 6 or the section liner-body be made of transparentplastic material and it can be also used as a regular triangle or ruler for conventional work. Inuse the instrument'is held in place on the drawing board or work surface with three fingers of the left hand on the finger rest 26 of the slide Hand the triangle is pushed gently 'untilthe eccentric abutment 28 is pushed against the end of the slide H. Then a line 14 is drawn along a side edge 8 of the triangle 6. Then the middle finger of the hand holding the pencil or pen is pressed down on the nut 33 of the abutment device so as to hold the triangle 6 stationary, and the slide H is gently moved over in the slot 9 against the end of the slot 9 farthest from the abutment device l6. Then the slide H is again pressed against the board or work so as to be held stationary and the triangle 6 is shifted thereon until the disk 28 abuts the slide flange 24, and then the next parallel line H can be drawn along the side edge 8 of the triangle 6. This manipulation becomes automatic and speedy after brief practice and perfect section lining or parallel lining can be drawn without strain on the draftsman. The device does not require anyspecial drawing board mechanism or T-square, nor any compiicatedsetting or adjustmerits; It is easily operable and results in speedy accurate, and even spaced drawing of parallel lines. j j

I claimi 1. In a parallel'ruler of the character described, a base, a side at an angle to said base; said base having an, oblong slot therein, a pair of guides formed in'said slot, a slide'having grooves in its sides slidable on said guides; said slot being longer than said'slide, said grooves being wider than said guides to permit play of said slide through said groove for engaging the surface on which the base rests when the slide is pressed to said surface, and an adjustable abutment at an end of the slot.

2. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a base, a ruler side at an angle to said base, said base having an oblong slot therein, guides formed on opposite sides of the slot, a slide having grooves on the edges thereof slidably engaged with said guides, said slide extending through said slot to the bottom face of the base and being shorter than the length of the slot, said grooves being wider than the respective guides to permit limited movement of the slide into the slot for pressing said slide against the surface on which the base is positioned, and an adjustable abutment at an end of the slot.

3. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a base, a ruler side at an angle to the base, said base having an oblong slot therein, said slot being countersunk from the bottom face of the base, a pair of longitudinal guides formed in said slot above said countersunk portion of the slot, a slide shorter than said slot, said slide extending through the entire depth of the slot and having grooves in its longitudinal edges slidably engaging said guides, and an adjustable abutment on .the base at an end of the slot aligned with said slide 4. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a body having edges arranged at an angle to one another and having a fiat bottom face, said body having a, slot therethrough substantially parallel with one of said edges, a slide, connecting means between the slide and said slot to hold the slide in the slot longitudinally slidably of the slot, a portion of said slide being extended through said slot to the bottom face of the body for engagement with the surface beneath said bottom when said slide is held under pressure, and an adjustable abutment on the base at an end of the slot.

5. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a substantially flat body having edges at angle to one another and having a flat bottom face, said body having a, slot extended therethrough, a slide in the slot being shorter than the slot, connecting means between the sides of the slot and the edges of the slide to slidably hold the slide in the slot, a portion of the slide being extended through said slot to said bottom face for frictional engagement with the surface beneath said bottom face when said slide is held under pressure so as to permit shifting of said body on said slide, an abutment on the base at an end of the slot, means to hold said abutment in adjusted positions on the base relatively to said slot and to the adjacent end of the slide, said holding means being adapted to be pressed against said surface beneath the bottom face of the body, to permit shifting of the slide relatively to said body.

6. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a body having edges arranged at an angle to one another and having a bottom face to rest on a worksurface, said body having a slot therethrough countersunk from said bottom face inwardly of the slot, a slide, opposed guide edges of the slide substantially conforming to the shape of the adjacent sides of the countersunk slot and being slidably held in said slot, said slide extending to said bottom face for engagement with said work surface when held under pressure and permittingthe shifting of said body on said slide, an eccentric disk on the body adjacent an end of the slot for abutment against'an end of said slide, securing means extended through the fulcrum of said disk and through said body to hold said disk at adjusted distance from said end of said slide, said securing means being adapted to be pressed against said surface so as to hold said body when said slide is shifted in said slot.

'7. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a body having edges at an angle to one another, and having a bottom face to rest on the working surface, said body having a slot therethrough, said slot being countersunk from said bottom face inwardly, a slide in said slot, said slide fitting into said countersunk slot from top to bottom and being shorter than the slot, top flanges on said slide above said slot extending over the top surface of the body adjacent said slot, and a handle on the top of said slide for shifting said slide, said slide being slidable in said slot and being adapted to engage said working surface when held under pressure; an eccentric abutment disk on the base at an end of the slot and projecting over said slot in registry with said slide flanges, and means at the fulcrum of said abutment disk to hold said disk in adjusted positions relatively to said end of the slot, said holding means being adapted to be held under pressure so as to hold said body while said slide is being shifted in said slot.

8. In a parallel ruler of the character described, a body having edges at an angle to one another and having a bottom face for resting on a work surface, said body having a slot therethrough, a slide shorter than the slot and slidable in said slot being extended through said slot to said bottom face to be pressed against said work surface and to permit the shifting of said body on said slide, an adjustable abutment on the body adjacent an end of said slot to regulate the stroke of sliding of said slide, and means to hold said abutment in adjustable positions and adapted to be pressed toward said work surface to hold said body while said slide is shifted in said slot.

9. A parallel ruler comprising a triangle, said triangle having an oblong slot therethrough substantially parallel with an edge of the triangle and extended through said triangle from the top face to the bottom face of the triangle, said slot being countersunk to form longitudinal guides thereon, a slide in said slot being shorter than the slot and slidably engaging said longitudinal guides, top flanges on said slide, the engagement of said slide with said guides being loose for permitting limited movement of the slide through said slot for holding the slide under pressure when the triangle is shifted on the slide; an eccentric disk fulcrumed on the triangle outside an end of the slot spaced from an end of said flange, releasable means to hold said disk in adjusted spaced positions with respect to the end of the slide for determining the relative stroke of the slide and the slot, said holding means being adapted to hold said triangle on the work surface while the slide is shifted in the slot.

10. A parallel ruler of the character described, comprising, a triangle, said triangle having an oblong slot therethrough substantially parallel with an edge of the triangle and extended through said triangle from the top face to the bottom face of the triangle, means to slidably hold said slide in said slot both longitudinally of the slot and with limited play through said slot, said slide being adapted to be held under pressure against a work surface when the triangle is shifted relatively to the slide, and being slidable in said slot when the triangle is pressed against the work surface.

11. A parallel ruler of the character described, comprising, a triangle, said triangle having an oblong slot therethrough substantially parallel with an edge of the triangle and extended through said triangle from the top face to the bottom face of the triangle, means to slidably hold said slide in said slot both longitudinally of the slot and with limited play through said slot, said slide being adapted to be held under pressure against a work surface when the triangle is shifted relatively to the slide, and being slidable in said slot when the triangle is pressed against the work surface, an eccentric abutment on the triangle at an end of the slot to limit the stroke of said slide in the slot, means to hold said abutment in a selected abutting position, said last holding means being adapted to be held under pressure and to hold said triangle on said work surface while the slide is shifted in said slot, pressure on said slide holding said triangle in ruler position when said slide is in contact with said abutment.

CARL W. KUHNE. 

